Pirates of the Feudal Era
by TouchOfViolet
Summary: Emotionally confused Kagome plus sake equals rambling comparison of Kagome’s love life vs. Elizabeth Swann’s.


**Disclaimer:** Neither Inuyasha or Pirates of the Caribbean are mine. Which is SUCH a shame, because the third POTC movie would not have ended the way it did if I owned it.

**A/N**: I'll be the first to admit it. This is _absolutely ridiculous_. And you are welcome.

This is for Jordan, my beta, who after a lengthy discussion of how different cultures address sneezing, decided my way in this story is tolerable.

This story hints at M/K, because everybody loves that lecherous monk.

**Summary**: Emotionally confused Kagome + sake = rambling comparison of Kagome's love life vs. Elizabeth Swann's.

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**Pirates of the Feudal Era**

by Touch of Violet

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It had been a weird day for Miroku. They had traveled for a long time, hoping to stumble across a village with comfortable accommodations before nightfall.

The girls had voiced, rather boisterously, their desire for a hot spring. Not that the monk could blame them – it had been days since their last bath and everyone was starting to develop a certain … stench. Even Inuyasha must've noticed, because he hadn't put up much of an argument at all and lead ahead of all of them – _upwind_, Miroku noticed.

But what had been weird, surprisingly, was Kagome. She kept looking at him thoughtfully. And, when he'd look back at her, she'd blush and quickly look away.

_That_ had been – unexpected.

And a little unnerving.

But, still, for some reason he felt a certain bounce in his step that hadn't been there before.

When they did make it to the village, there had been a large celebration taking place over a wedding. Miroku had quickly secured them lodging and the humans of the group had hurriedly rushed to join the party because, free food and booze.

However, the three demons had been turned away from the party, in none too subtle terms. Miroku had felt sorry for them, especially Inuyasha, who though walked away with a proverbial tail between his legs had managed a large amount of righteous indignation.

But it hadn't been the pity he had felt that caused him to leave the party and join Inuyasha. Kagome had continued to look at him over her plate of food and (what was it, third?) cup of sake, studying him – like she was questioning something important.

That look had caused him to seek refuge away from free food and free booze and free girls.

Seemingly many conversation-less hours later, Sango had stumbled into their room at the local inn, reeking of sake. She had glanced around the room, eyes unconfused, before lying down in the corner – no blanket or bedroll – and promptly fell asleep.

From their positions sitting against opposite walls, Inuyasha had Miroku had exchanged glances.

And then Kagome had stumbled in, in much the same way; except she had hiccupped before lying down on her stomach in between the two men. She turned her head and rested her cheek on the floor, looking at Miroku.

"Hi," she said quietly.

Miroku blinked at her. "Hello."

Kagome sneezed, surprising the monk.

She wiped her nose and sniffled. "Bless me," she ordered.

"Mm?"

"S'posed to say, 'Bless you,' when someone sneezes," Kagome replied, narrowing her eyes. "It's a rule, or something."

Miroku felt a grin tug at his lips. "You are drunk, Kagome-sama."

She smiled sleepily. "Just a little."

"Stupid girl," Inuyasha snorted.

Kagome's eyes narrowed again, though she didn't turn her gaze away from Miroku.

"Been thinking," she announced.

The monk decided to amuse her. "About?"

"There's this girl named Elizabeth," Kagome said. "And she …" she paused to yawn, "She's always been the good girl. The innocent girl, you know? And there are these two guys. Will and Jack."

Briefly, Miroku and Inuyasha exchanged glances again – surprised glances – before Miroku forced himself to look down at the girl lying on the floor.

"O-okay," he said.

Kagome blinked slowly. "When the story starts, you can tell that Elizabeth is going to end up with Will. She rescues him. Saves him. Frees him." Kagome stopped and rubbed her nose. "The whole universe is doing everything in its power to put Will and Elizabeth together because that's the way it has to be. And you just know the whole time she's going to end up with Will.

"And he's … a good man, a decent man. No parents. But hard working. A good fighter. Respectable. But then," she reached out and took Miroku's cursed hand into her own, causing the monk's eyes to widen ever so slightly. He wanted to pull the hand away from her – it was dangerous even if she wasn't drunk. He didn't, though. And he didn't miss the low growl Inuyasha was emitting.

"But then Jack comes along," she continued, admiring Miroku's hand in hers, "and he's … different. Good fighter too, but certainly not a respectable man – leaving angry women in his path. He's a drifter. A wanderer. A thief. A pirate. And he's got all this unadulterated confidence that he's never done anything to earn."

Her fingers traced the beads on his hand. "He's adventure, and that's what Elizabeth has always wanted."

Miroku studied her face; her half lidded eyes were rather endearing. "Adventure?" he questioned.

She tried to shake her head, bumping it quietly on the hard wood floor. "Her _own_ life. Nobody _else's_ choices or decisions dictating her life but _her own_." She paused, running her index fingers up and down his knuckles. "But Will – he loves her in a way Jack can't. Not that Jack doesn't love her. But, he can't the same way Will does; he's a pirate, a wanderer, and all that after all. Will would – he'd die to protect her. Elizabeth knows that. She trusts Will in a way she can't trust Jack because, he's _Jack_, you know?"

Miroku "hnn"ed thoughtfully. Kagome tugged his hand closer to her face to study it better. He could feel her breath on his fingers.

Inuyasha's growl increased marginally.

"Elizabeth gives up everything for Will," Kagome said, "She gives up all her dreams and all her adventure and all her pirate kinging and all her Jack and all her everything. For. Will." Her lips touched the tips of Miroku's fingers so lightly he wasn't sure they had touched at all. She let go of his hand and tried to snuggle into the floor. "And do you know what happens?" she asked, eyes fluttering closed.

"What?" he asked, heart pounding for a reason he couldn't quite place.

Kagome sighed before blinking her gray eyes open. She gave Miroku a small, sad smile. "He leaves her," she spoke in a whisper of a voice.

Miroku's chest tightened, suddenly everything becoming clear. Inuyasha's growl abruptly stopped.

Kagome raised her index finger in the air, pointing it as if she still had something to say. "She shoulda picked Jack 'cause," a giant yawn overcame her pretty features, her jaw looking like it was about to fall off.

Miroku stared, impressed.

Her finger still hanging in the air, she finally snapped her mouth closed. "'Cause, he had a jar of dirt," she finished. Her hand dropped to the floor, her eyes closed, and suddenly she was asleep.

A quiet stillness filled the room. Miroku tried to dissect Kagome's strange story in his mind. He risked a quick glance in the hanyou's direction, noticing that he looked to be deep in thought as well. After a while, Inuyasha rose from his feet and brought Kagome into his arms, never making eye contact with Miroku.

The monk watched as Inuyasha carefully placed Kagome into her sleeping bag, tucking her in next to a soundly sleeping Shippou. The hanyou gently pushed the girl's hair out of her face and looked down at her thoughtfully.

"You should tell her," Miroku said before he had time to think about it.

Inuyasha turned his head, golden eyes aflame. "What did you say?"

Miroku resisted the urge to roll his eyes and instead managed a small smile. "It seems she questions your future plans. You should tell her what they are, no matter what they are, so she can plan her life accordingly … _Will_."

Inuyasha did roll his eyes, apparently the thought of resisting to do so never crossing his mind, before turning his back to Miroku. "Just keep your jar of dirt where I can see it, _Jack_."

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The End.

**A/N: **Hey, I told you it was absolutely ridiculous.


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